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A Cork family is “lucky to be alive” after a 60ft tree smashed through the roof of their home, crashing straight into their bedrooms during Storm Éowyn.
Angela Ducey and her family had decided to sleep downstairs last night in their house in Killavullen, North Cork, and she believes this saved them.
Her daughter Aine, 17, who has epilepsy and sometimes relies on a wheelchair, uses an electric stairlift in the house, and fearing an electricity outage with the storm, the family of three decided to sleep downstairs.
“We’re shellshocked but we’re lucky to be alive,” Ms Ducey told the .
“At 12.30am a tree came through the roof of the house and shook the entire house. It’s destroyed the top of the house.
“I was in bed downstairs with my girl. We usually sleep upstairs but I have an electric chairlift for Aine. I was afraid if we had no electricity this morning we wouldn’t have been able to get her downstairs.
“Sleeping downstairs probably saved us. The tree went into the back bedroom, into Aine’s bedroom, the main bathroom, the landing.
“It completely destroyed the house. It pushed the entire roof over, the force was so much. We don’t know if the foundations have been impacted.
“We were told it will take three to six months to repair it and make it habitable again.”
Ms Ducey said that she had been worried for some time about the giant tree, which is some 60ft tall and was growing on her neighbour’s property.
The fire brigade evacuated the family last night and they stayed in the Hibernia hotel in Mallow.
They will stay with family tonight but need to find alternative accommodation while they wait for the months it will take to repair their badly damaged home.
“My girl has special needs, she has very serious epilepsy and Rett syndrome and ADHD. We have tough times as it is. But Aine has taken this really well.”
Ms Ducey said the fire brigade, Cork County Council and the local community have been hugely supportive.
But the family face a major clean-up job. Branches and plaster now litter the floor of the house and the electricity had to be switched off for safety reasons.
Ms Ducey was unable to get in contact with her insurance company today but she is hopeful that there will be some cover for the storm damage.